Shattered
by Sunlight's Shadow
Summary: Stormstar and her deputy Snowstrike are leading ThunderClan through a battle against ShadowClan, one that ThunderClan is almost guaranteed losing. But then, Snowstrike reveals a wish to Stormstar, leaving her filled with hatred, hurt, and anger. And then, her sister makes a reappearance into Stormstar's life, and the two sisters' shattered hearts will only mend when they forgive.


The deep, red sky hung over the empty clearing, and the wind swirled around the clearing as stars shone overhead. From the bushes, a cat emerged, a pure white she-cat, whose blue eyes gleamed in the sunset light. She turned her head, and another cat, a gray she-cat, padded after her.

"Why have you brought me here, Snowstrike?" The gray cat's voice was laced with curiosity, not suspicion. She paused. "You're my deputy, so I trust you."

"And, I'm your _sister!"_ Snowstrike retorted. "How could you forget, that, Stormstar?" She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, before settling down in the midst of the grassy clearing. The gray she-cat, Stormstar, settled down beside her, shooting her a confused look. _What's the meaning of this?_

"Now, _sister,_ what's this all about?" Stormstar asked, teasingly.

Snowstrike, the ThunderClan deputy, shook out her thick white fur before speaking to Stormstar. A flash of uncertainty appeared in the depths of her clear blue eyes, which were so much like her sister's, only to settle once more. "ShadowClan has become a problem, hasn't it?"

Stormstar narrowed her eyes. "You didn't drag me all the way here to tell me that." At this point, Snowstrike's gaze fell to her paws, but she lifted her head once more as her sister, the clan leader, swept her gray tail over her back. "Come on, Snowstrike. You can tell me." _What is wrong with her?_

"My point is," Snowstrike mewed, "the battles are too much for ThunderClan to handle."

"And...?"

"You need to do something to end this war," Snowstrike declared. "ShadowClan's not going to give up, anytime soon, and we already know that we're losing, Stormstar." As she spoke, Stormstar glanced at her, confused. _What does she want me to do about it?_

"So... you want me to surrender? It'll make ThunderClan look weak, and that'll prompt more invasion!" Stormstar snapped. _Oh, StarClan, being a clan leader can be so hard!_ She shot her sister a glare. "What do you want me to do?"

"Do whatever you like." Snowstrike's voice was cold. "Tell me. Are you going to continue the battle, or end it?"

Stormstar faced her sister with equal determination in her eyes. "Continue. ThunderClan will _never_ retreat."

Snowstrike turned away, and Stormstar glimpsed tears fill her eyes before she looked to the side. "Very well, then, Stormstar." She addressed Stormstar as her leader, rather than her sister. "This has been coming for a long time. I'm leaving."

"You mean, leaving ThunderClan? For good?" Stormstar's eyes widened with dismay. _Why?_

"Yes." Snowstrike dipped her head.

 _No! You can't leave ThunderClan! You can't leave me!_ "Where will you go?" Stormstar's voice held the faintest hint of a challenge, and her claws sunk deep into the ground, leaving deep gouges in the grass at her paws.

"ShadowClan." The white deputy lowered her head. "I tried to be a loyal ThunderClan cat, I really did! But with a leader who's too blind to see the danger her clan is in, it just didn't work out!" Stormstar let out a low growl, whipping her head back slightly with a lash of her tail.

"You wouldn't dare." Stormstar's blue eyes glared at the cat who had once been her friend. _How could you?_

"I do." Snowstrike's ear twitched, and she jerked her head in the direction of a strong scent marker a few steps away. "I'm sorry, sister." Her blue eyes held all the affection the two had ever felt for each other, but Stormstar wouldn't believe her. She _couldn't._

"No." Stormstar jumped in front of her sister, blocking her path. "You lost the title of my _sister_ when you decided to join ShadowClan."

"So be it." Her sister shot her a glare of pure hatred. "And you lost the title of my _leader_ when you decided to foolishly continue fighting a losing battle." Her tail flicked slightly, and she lowered her head. "I want to join the victorious clan. Stormstar, this is it."

"It is." Stormstar bent her head to try and touch noses to her sister one last time, but Snowstrike pulled away, lifting her sleek white head and pushing past her former leader, pausing one last time before the ShadowClan border. Stormstar's heart twinged, suddenly, and tears filled her blue eyes as she watched Snowstrike move swiftly towards the border. "No! Snowstrike! Wait. Please."

Snowstrike turned her head, her blue eyes holding a burning hatred. "Goodbye, Stormstar."

* * *

 _This is impossible._ Stormstar shook her head to clear her vision, but the cat was still there. Four moons had passed since she had bade her sister a cold farewell from ThunderClan, but she never thought that Snowstrike would see her again. And definitely not in her position.

A full moon floated above, announcing the beginning of the Gathering.

On the branch below Stormstar stood a cat she had never thought she would see again. And now, in her heart, Stormstar was furious. The cat's sleek white form moved, lifting her head to meet her gaze to Stormstar's challengingly. Stormstar forced herself not to flinch as the she-cat's lips curled into a sneer. The gray ThunderClan leader narrowed her eyes. "Snowstrike."

"My name is Snowstar." All the friendliness the two sisters had once had towards each other vanished. The night air grew tight with the tension that radiated off the two leaders like black waves. A heavyset black tom, perched on the branch just below Snowstrike - or was she Snowstar? - looked between the two of them, confusion etched within the fur on his face, but he didn't comment.

However, he _did_ raise his voice in a yowl, alerting the cats assembled below. "Let the Gathering begin!" He dipped his head. "Snowstar, would you like to speak first?"

Snowstar bent her head elegantly. "Thank you, Blackstar." She raised her voice. "ShadowClan is well. Eight sunrises ago, I went to the Moonpool to receive my nine lives from StarClan, and my warrior ancestors blessed me with the leadership of ShadowClan."

 _Not your warrior ancestors. Your_ ThunderClan _warrior ancestors,_ Stormstar thought bitterly.

"We have one new apprentice, Swiftpaw!" Stormstar tore her gaze away from her sister and looked down amongst the cats, watching as a young black-and-white she-cat lifted her head proudly as the cats called out her name.

Stormstar, however, remained silent. She somehow couldn't cheer for the cat who had been named by her sister.

"WindClan is also well." Blackstar mewed. "We have no important news to share. I, however, wish to congratulate Snowstar on her new leadership. May ShadowClan thrive under you." Stormstar unsheathed her claws, digging them into the soft bark.

"ThunderClan is fine." Stormstar's voice was cold as she spoke. "We have two new warriors, Leafsong and Silverfang." She flattened her ears, only half-listening as the cats called out the new warriors' names. "That's all." _And no, I do not wish to congratulate Snowstar._

Icestar, the RiverClan leader, seemed surprised that Stormstar didn't congratulate her sister, but she stepped forward to speak. "RiverClan is well. The prey is swimming faster, this season, but we can feed ourselves just fine. There is nothing else." She lifted her head to face Snowstar. "Good luck with ShadowClan, Snowstar."

"The gathering is over!" Snowstar yowled, springing gracefully down from the Great Oak and landing neatly on all four paws. Stormstar landed beside her, anger radiating off her as she faced her sister.

"Excuse me, Snowstar, a word?" Stormstar's voice was coldly polite.

Snowstar dipped her head, though her eyes blazed with anger. "Yes." Without warning, Stormstar hurled herself at the white she-cat, pinning her down easily with unsheathed claws, raking them down her spine. Snowstar writhed beneath her. "What is the meaning of this, Stormstar?"

"You should _never_ have joined ShadowClan." Stormstar's teeth sunk into her sister's neck. Snowstar twitched once, with a gasp, then went still. "You betrayed ThunderClan. And now that ThunderClan has won that battle, how do you feel?" She spoke to the lifeless form of her sister, raking her claws across Snowstar's throat again and again.

After what seemed like six or seven lifetimes, Snowstar blinked. "Two... life-" She cut herself off, blinking rapidly as Stormstar glared down at her. Quickly, Snowstar lashed her claws out at Stormstar's throat, and she fell to the ground, feeling the strength drain from her body as everything faded into black.

Heartbeats later, Stormstar tentatively opened her eyes. Instinctively, she raked her claws upward, dragging them across Snowstar's already-bleeding throat, then jumped to her paws. After Snowstar lost this life, they would be even with regular warriors. Both would have only one life left.

Snowstar blinked, then hurled herself at Stormstar. Stormstar rolled with the impact, pulling her head back as her sister's claws struck it, and her own teeth fastened into Snowstar's hind leg. Her energy felt renewed, and Stormstar realized that she and her sister were equal in strength.

Out of the corner of her blue eyes, Stormstar saw cats jump out of their way as they rolled, locked in each other's fur, and cats surrounding them let out yowls of alarm. Stormstar claws scrabbled at Snowstar's underbelly, and her cheek stung where Snowstar's claws had struck.

And then, Snowstar was on top of her, hatred gleaming in her blue eyes. "I made the right choice, Stormstar." Her claws were placed firmly over Stormstar's throat.

"Oh?" Stormstar's voice came out as a rasp. "Then how is it that ThunderClan won that war, that very war you told me to avoid?"

"How many lives were lost?" Snowstar countered.

"Those warriors died fighting for their clan," Stormstar growled, her claws twitching.

Snowstar closed her eyes for a heartbeat. "This is hard for me to do, _sister,_ " she hissed, eyes blazing in hatred. "I cannot let the lives of my dead clanmates go in vain. They haven't died and lost that battle for nothing."

"You are not my sister." Stormstar's voice was cold, but she shut her eyes tightly.

Snowstar's claws dug deep into her throat, and Stormstar's bloodstained fur shook from the effort of partially opening her eyes. With a soft sigh, she lashed out, raking her claws across Snowstar's neck before falling back. She watched through half-open eyes as Snowstar fell beside her, twitching, her eyes closed.

And then, it hit her.

 _It was all a mistake, StarClan. I was wrong to risk so many lives, and she was wrong to leave the clan for it... please forgive us._ With that, Stormstar closed her eyes, and everything faded into blackness.

Her shattered heart would mend only when she met her sister in StarClan, not too far in the future.


End file.
